Birdman was the toast of the 87th Oscars on Sunday (22Feb15), earning Best Picture as Eddie Redmayne and Julianne Moore also celebrated big wins at Hollywood's big night.
Birdman filmmaker Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu was named Best Director, while he also claimed Best Original Screenplay and Emmanuel Lubezki received the Best Cinematography award. Redmayne couldn't contain his excitement as he collected the Best Actor prize for his Stephen Hawking biopic The Theory of Everything, and Julianne Moore scored Best Actress for Still Alice, while fellow awards season favourites and first-time nominees J.K. Simmons (Whiplash) and Patricia Arquette (Boyhood) walked away with the best supporting acting prizes.
Wes Anderson also had reason to celebrate as The Grand Budapest Hotel, which tied with Birdman for the most nominations with nine nods apiece, scored four titles, including Best Original Score for Alexandre Desplat. Each of the nominations for Best Original Song were performed, but it was John Legend and Common's powerful rendition of Selma track "Glory" which left actors David Oyelowo and Chris Pine in tears at Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre as the audience gave the musicians a standing ovation. "Glory" went on to win the category. Meanwhile, Jennifer Hudson honoured the stars lost in the past year by singing "I Can't Let Go" as part of the In Memoriam segment, and Lady Gaga helped to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Oscar-winning movie The Sound of Music with an impressive medley of hits from the Dame Julie Andrews musical, including Edelweiss, Climb Ev'ry Mountain and the title song.
Ceremony host Neil Patrick Harris also showed off his vocals by opening the 2015 prizegiving with a comedic song and dance number with Anna Kendrick and actor/rocker Jack Black.
The full list of winners at the 2015 Oscars is:
Best Motion Picture of the Year: Birdman
Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role: Eddie Redmayne, The Theory of Everything
Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role: Julianne Moore, Still Alice
Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role: J.K. Simmons, Whiplash
Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role: Patricia Arquette, Boyhood
Best Achievement in Directing: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Birdman
Best Writing, Original Screenplay: Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu, Nicolas Giacobone, Alexander Dinelaris, Jr. and Armando Bo, Birdman
Best Writing, Adapted Screenplay: Graham Moore, The Imitation Game
Best Foreign Language Film of the Year: Ida (Poland)
Best Animated Feature Film: Big Hero 6 Best Documentary, Feature: Citizenfour
Best Documentary, Short Subject: Crisis Hotline: Veterans Press 1
Best Short Film, Animated: Feast Best Short Film, Live Action: The Phone Call
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Song: "Glory" from Selma, by John Legend and Common
Best Achievement in Music Written for Motion Pictures, Original Score: Alexandre Desplat, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Achievement in Cinematography: Emmanuel Lubezki, Birdman
Best Achievement in Film Editing: Tom Cross, Whiplash
Best Achievement in Costume Design: Milena Canonero, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Achievement in Production Design: Adam Stockhausen and Anna Pinnock, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Achievement in Makeup and Hairstyling: Frances Hannon and Mark Coulier, The Grand Budapest Hotel
Best Achievement in Visual Effects: Interstellar Best Achievement in Sound Editing: American Sniper
Best Achievement in Sound Mixing: Whiplash
Academy Honorary Awards: Jean-Claude Carriere Hayao Miyazaki Maureen O'Hara Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award: Harry Belafonte.

Whiplash star J.K. Simmons has kicked off the celebrations at the 87th Oscars by walking away with the first prize of the night for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role.
The 60-year-old first-time nominee was the favourite heading into Sunday's (22Feb15) ceremony after adding an Independent Spirit Award to his Golden Globe, Screen Actors Guild and BAFTA accolades on Saturday (21Feb15), and he continued his awards season victory parade by beating fellow contenders Robert Duvall (The Judge), Ethan Hawke (Boyhood), Edward Norton (Birdman) and Mark Ruffalo (Foxcatcher) to claim the top Oscar.
Stepping up to the podium, Simmons gave thanks to his "wonderful" wife Michelle Schumacher, and then urged people everywhere to call their parents and tell them they loved them. He said, "Call your mum, call your dad. If you're lucky enough to have a parent or two alive on this planet, call them. Don't text, don't email, call them on the phone, tell them you love them and thank them and listen to them as long as they want to talk to you. Thank you. Thank you mum and dad."
Ceremony host Neil Patrick Harris opened the 2015 prizegiving at Los Angeles' Dolby Theatre by poking fun at the lack of diversity among this year's Oscars nominations, quipping, "Welcome to the 87th Oscars. Tonight we honor Hollywood's best and whitest, sorry brightest...!" He then launched into a song and dance number with Anna Kendrick, dressed as Cinderella, and actor/rocker Jack Black as an outspoken, disgruntled audience member, who leaped up onstage and belted out his complaints in a little melody, before he was kicked off stage.
Birdman and The Grand Budapest Hotel lead the 2015 nominees with nine nods apiece, followed by The Imitation Game with eight.

Napalm Death vocalist Mark 'barney' Greenway has dismissed rumours suggesting guitarist Mitch Harris has left the heavy rock group amid speculation he is terminally ill. Harris dropped out of the British band's North American tour with Voivod in November (14) so he could stay behind to deal with a family member's health crisis.
He has been temporarily been replaced by John Cooke, but his absence has prompted some fans to speculate on Harris' future with the group and wonder if he is a battling a secret illness.
However, Greenway insists there is no truth to any of the rumours.
He tells Decibel magazine, "People think Mitch is terminally ill and he isn't. Or they think he has left the band for shady reasons and he hasn't. You have to cut people some slack."
Greenway is hoping Harris will be able to return to the line-up when they hit the road in January (15), but he admits nothing is certain.
He continues, "It's something that you can't put a time limit on. I'd rather he sort his situation out and come back with the decks cleared. The situation might change at some point, but we are letting him get on with it, because it's heavy stuff. But we're trying not to be pessimistic."

Gay rights film Pride dominated the British Independent Film Awards on Sunday (07Dec14), taking home three prizes, including Best Film. The movie, based on the true story of lesbian and gay activists in the U.K. during the 1980s, was feted with the coveted honour, as well as both supporting acting prizes for its stars Imelda Staunton and Andrew Scott.
Staunton's former Harry Potter co-star Brendan Gleeson and Gugu Mbatha-Raw were named the winners of the Best Actor and Actress prizes for their roles in Calvary and Belle, respectively.
Director Richard Linklater was on hand to accept the award for his acclaimed film Boyhood, which was named the Best International Independent Film, dedicating the honour to one of his inspirations, British moviemaker Lindsay Anderson.
Meanwhile, Yann Demange claimed Best Director for his feature film debut, Northern Ireland-set thriller '71, and Best Screenplay went to Frank duo Jon Ronson and Peter Straughan.
Special accolades were given to veteran actress Emma Thompson, who was presented with the prestigious Richard Harris Award to mark her contribution to the U.K. film industry, and The Imitation Game star Benedict Cumberbatch was given the Variety honour, which recognises an actor, director, writer or producer who has helped to focus the international spotlight on the U.K.

Hollywood actress Emma Stone wowed audiences in New York City on Tuesday night (11Nov14) as she made her Broadway debut in Cabaret.
The Amazing Spider-Man star has taken over the role of Sally Bowles from fellow Hollywood star Michelle Williams, appearing opposite Scottish actor Alan Cumming in the hit revival of the classic Kander &amp; Ebb musical.
Stone made her debut just days after her 26th birthday on 6 November (14).
In the run up to the show, she received a good luck message from Neil Patrick Harris, who recently concluded an acclaimed run in Broadway play Hedwig and the Angry Inch.
He wrote in a message on Twitter.com, "Welcome to Broadway, Emma Stone! Can't wait to see your Sally Bowles in @Cabaret_Musical, starting tonight. Break a leg. And a heart (sic)."
Stone's co-star Cumming also posted a video on Instagram.com to mark her first night in the show, but later took to Twitter to reveal the performance had not been quite as successful for him as he hurt his arm onstage. The Good Wife star writes, "I banged my arm tonight in @Cabaret_Musical and so I am going to monitor its bruising and swelling (sic)."

Courteney Cox, Neil Patrick Harris, Sarah Jessica Parker and Carrie Underwood are among the stars who have saluted the U.S. Armed Forces to mark Veterans Day on Tuesday (11Nov14). A host of celebrities took to social media to reflect on the U.S. holiday which commemorates serving troops and those lost in battle.
Former Friends star Cox writes in a post on Twitter.com, "So grateful today and everyday for the extraordinary sacrifice of our service members and their families. Happy Veterans Day!" and How I met Your Mother star Harris adds, "It's Veterans Day. Sincere thanks to all those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces for protecting our country. I salute you."
Country singer Underwood offers, "Thank you to all the women and men who serve our country. Today, we honour you and your sacrifices and bravery! God bless.HappyVeteransDay (sic)."
Actress Sarah Jessica Parker shared a link to a website listing local Veterans Day events and urged her fans to get involved with fundraising activities, and American Beauty star Mena Suvari tweeted a picture of U.S. armed forces throughout the years, adding, "In memory of the men and women who have served in the armed forces of the United States Of America."
A message posted on the website of rocker Bret Michaels, who has previously performed for troops in the Middle East, reads, "On this Veteran's Day, on behalf of all of us... we'd like to take a moment to remember and send our most sincere thank you along with our utmost appreciation to all the men and women who have served in our nation's armed forces. Their efforts and sacrifices will always be remembered."
Other U.S. stars to offer messages of support include actor Chris Evans, Susan Sarandon, Val Kilmer, Katherine Heigl, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Richie Sambora, John Legend and Billy Ray Cyrus.
Tuesday (11Nov14) also marked Remembrance Day in the U.K. and British stars including One Direction's Harry Styles also paid tribute to war heroes.

U.S. TV personality Samantha Harris has declared herself cancer-free, six months after undergoing a double mastectomy. The former Dancing with the Stars co-host had her breasts removed in May (14) after discovering a cancerous lump and doctors have now given her the all clear.
Harris tells People.com, "When I officially got past my second stage of reconstruction surgery, which was the third surgery I'd had this year, and I reached that six-week mark after surgery, that was when I got the all clear.
"I could do whatever I wanted, resume normal activities, and I was elated to get to that point... It's an elusive other side that people talk about when you're first diagnosed with breast cancer, and I'm officially now on the other side."
Harris is setting up an organisation to help other women who have been diagnosed with cancer.

CBS
Two And A Half Men star Ashton Kutcher has been named U.S. TV's highest-paid actor for the third year in a row.
The actor earned an estimated $26 million (£15 million) for his work on the hit sitcom over the past 12 months, according to editors at Forbes magazine. Kutcher's Two and a Half Men co-star Jon Cryer follows behind in second place earning $19 million (£11.5 million). The pair is heading into the long-running programme's 12th and final season next month (Sep14).
Cryer is tied in second place with NCIS veteran Mark Harmon, while Neil Patrick Harris comes in at fourth, raking in $18 million (£11 million) to end his eight season run on How I Met Your Mother, which finished earlier this year (14).
Grey's Anatomy hunk Patrick Dempsey and House of Cards star Kevin Spacey tie in the fifth position with $16 million (£9.7 million).
Other actors featured on the countdown include The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons and Johnny Galecki, Harris' co-stars Jason Segel and Josh Radnor, Tim Allen, Charlie Sheen, and newcomer on the list, Mad Men's Jon Hamm.

A Canadian musical festival featuring performances from Calvin Harris and Iggy Azalea ended in tragedy over the weekend (02-03Aug14), when two people died from drug overdoses and 13 others were hospitalised for substance abuse-related ailments. Police have launched an investigation into the passing of a 22-year-old man and 20-year-old woman, who were pronounced dead after reportedly ingesting "party drugs" at The Veld music festival at Toronto's Downsview Park.
Toronto Police Deputy Chief Mark Saunders says, "Out of the 15, two have succumbed and died as a result of ingesting what we believe to be party drugs which were purchased at the Veld music festival. People are saying it could be MDMA (methylenedioxymethamphetamine), it could be ecstasy, it could be GHB (gamma hydroxybutyrate)... People are dying because they are ingesting this drug. We want to find that drug, we want to find out exactly what it is.
"If anyone you know was at that festival and you have concerns for their behaviour or how they are acting right now, or if they are in any kind of distress, it is important that they go to the hospital immediately and seek medical attention."
The event also included sets by dance star Armin Van Buuren and rapper Waka Flocka Flame.